The invention relates to apparatus for discharging a plurality of stacked articles.
Such apparatus is conventionally employed and associated with a conveyor system during the filling and sealing of containers on an assembly line. In particular, one series of stackers may be employed for the feeding of containers to be filled, while another plurality of such stackers may be employed in cooperatively timed relation for the discharge of covers to seal such containers after the filler has been introduced therein.
In existing arrangements of this type, since the feeding and filling of the containers is intermittent, it has been found necessary to bring the drive mechanism for the stacker discharge facilities to a complete stop between successive stacker operations, in order to accommodate dwell times between successive advances of the conveyor. In addition, separate and cooperatively timed stackers have generally been necessary for supplying the various components of the separately sealed articles.